LG Smart Park Selected as the First 'Lighthouse Factory' in the Domestic Home Appliance Industry

Selected as a 'Lighthouse Factory' by the World Economic Forum (WEF)
Building an 'Intelligent Process System' with AI and Digital Twin Technology
Achieving Efficiency in Design, Development, and Production

LG Electronics employees are watching the virtual factory displayed by the intelligent process system at LG Smart Park. The intelligent process system allows users to monitor the actual factory operations at a glance, including refrigerator production, parts movement, and inventory status.

[Asia Economy Reporter Sunmi Park] When entering the first-floor lobby of LG Smart Park, where refrigerators are produced, there is a large screen made up of 18 LED signages on the right wall. Through the virtual factory displayed by the intelligent process system on the signage, the actual factory operation status, including refrigerator production, parts movement, and inventory situation, can be checked at a glance. The intelligent process system collects and analyzes data inside the factory every 30 seconds, predicts the production line 10 minutes ahead, and supplies materials in a timely manner. Additionally, through data deep learning, it detects and notifies potential product defects or equipment failures on the production line in advance.

LG Electronics announced on the 31st that LG Smart Park in Changwon, Gyeongnam, the production base for home appliances, has been selected as a ‘Lighthouse Factory’ for the first time in the domestic home appliance industry. A Lighthouse Factory refers to a factory that actively adopts advanced technologies to lead the future of global manufacturing. The World Economic Forum (WEF) has been evaluating factories worldwide since 2018 and selects them twice a year. In Korea, POSCO (2019) and LS Electric (2021) have been selected in the past.

LG Smart Park is equipped with an overhead conveyor capable of transporting materials weighing up to 30kg along the production line. When boxes containing small refrigerator parts such as PCB boards, door hinges, and water purifier filters are placed on the conveyor, they are lifted to the overhead level using a logistics elevator and automatically delivered to the work section where the parts are needed. Also, the intelligent unmanned warehouse installed on the production line monitors inventory in real time and requests supply autonomously when stock is low.

On the ground, 5G dedicated network-based logistics robots (AGVs) busily move around, automatically transporting load containers weighing up to 600kg, containing refrigerator compressors or coolers, along optimal routes.

By deploying AI-equipped robots, production efficiency has increased and the working environment has become safer. The robotic arms on the welding line, where flames occur such as in compressors or coolers, learn high-frequency welding technology through deep learning and precisely recognize positions with cameras to weld at uniform temperatures and times. After welding, the robots also check for refrigerant leaks.

With the establishment of this Smart Park, LG Electronics has improved productivity by 20%. The development and construction period for new refrigerator model production lines has also been shortened by 30%. The existing refrigerator production capacity, which is up to 2 million units, is expected to increase to over 3 million units by 2025. Additionally, LG Electronics has applied ESS (Energy Storage System), eco-friendly energy facilities, and technologies to Smart Park, improving energy efficiency used in product manufacturing by about 30%, thereby reducing carbon emissions.

LG Electronics plans to expand the application of intelligent process technology to its global production subsidiaries. Ryu Jae-cheol, head of LG Electronics H&A Business Division, said, “LG Smart Park is the forefront of customer experience innovation producing the world’s best products,” and added, “Based on advanced digital technology, we will present a future blueprint for global home appliance manufacturing.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.